Don Crocker

About

Don Crocker is the current Chief Development Officer at Inspire Brands. Don has held this position since July of 2018. Prior to their current role, Crocker served as the Senior Director of Real Estate, Restaurant Development, and Supply Chain for Chick-fil-A Corporate from January 1997 to July 2018. In this role, they were responsible for developing and leading market expansion strategies and teams responsible for new store growth and existing stores throughout the US.

Crocker helped Chick-fil-A pioneer growth into over 65 new DMAs and create and preserve store assets in 47 states and in Canada. In total, they touched over 1/3 of the Chick-fil-A store portfolio with "Go/ no Go" and financially binding decisions. Don also participated in opening the Chick-fil-A California office in conjunction with the Brand’s westward expansion and lived in Southern CA. From 2009-2016, they led the new store Pipeline and sat on the leadership team that approved all new store locations. Don also helped lead the corporate campus asset strategy and in 2017 they led a team responsible for locating a new CFA Satellite Innovation Office at the Biltmore at Georgia Tech Square.

Various teams they were tasked to lead and participate in at Chick-fil-A include Organizational Design, Strategic Reinvestment, Intellectual Property, Diversity and Inclusion, International Strategy, Operator (Franchisee) Communication, New store and existing store Capital allocation, Canada entry, Operator FRL Training and Operator "Voice" Panels, Campus Strategy, Corporate Procurement, and new Staff orientation to name a few. Don participated in the recruiting and hiring decision for every new hire in the new store group at Chick-fil-A from 1997-2016.

Don also worked extensively with one of Chick-fil-A’s Philanthropic missions, the CFA Foundation from its inception and represented the CFA Foundation and Junior Achievement of GA in bringing the JA Discovery Center to the Georgia World Congress Center in 2013.

Don Crocker graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE). Don then attended Emory University - Goizueta Business School before earning their Masters of Corporate Real Estate with Honors from CoreNet Global.

Some of their coworkers include Christopher Fuller - Chief Communications and ESG Officer, Lyle Tick - President, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Claudia San Pedro - President, Sonic & Head of Limited Service Category. Their manager is Paul Brown, CEO & co-Founder.